A voluntary e-mail communication project and a survey of students' perceptions of the project were conducted among students in an introductory social work course. The students reported positive effects on learning and on their relationships with peers and the instructor. No significant difference between the rates of e-mail postings by the male and female students were found. However, there was a qualitative difference in the male and female-generated responses, which suggests that methods need to be devised to enhance the empowerment potential of computer-mediated interaction.
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